{"id":15659,"date":"2015-10-08T08:55:49","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T08:55:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/?p=15659"},"modified":"2015-10-08T08:55:49","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T08:55:49","slug":"ulsu-calls-on-education-minister-to-address-mental-health-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/index.php\/ulsu-calls-on-education-minister-to-address-mental-health-services\/","title":{"rendered":"ULSU calls on Education Minister to address mental health services"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ULSU
ULSU President, Colin Clarke presents Minister for Education & Skills, Jan O’Sullivan with a letter on behalf of the students of UL. Photo: University of Limerick Communications Office. Photo: University of Limerick Communications Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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By Tom\u00e1s Heneghan<\/p>\n

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The University of Limerick Students\u2019 Union sabbatical officers have presented Minister for Education, Jan O\u2019Sullivan with a letter detailing the Union\u2019s concerns over the underfunding of mental health services in Irish universities.<\/p>\n

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ULSU president, Colin Clarke presented the letter to Minister O\u2019Sullivan when she visited UL a week and a half ago to launch the university\u2019s Strategic Plan – Broadening Horizons 2015-2019.<\/p>\n

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Speaking to An Focal, Mr. Clarke said the Minister welcomed the letter. He explained: \u201cI don\u2019t think she realised just how bad the problem is but when we explained she was very much surprised – the three or four week waiting service for the counselling department, she didn\u2019t expect that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The letter said the current system of university mental health services was \u201cunderfunded, inadequate and struggling to cope with the increased usage of their vital services.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It also pointed to a number of statistics relating to mental health services in Irish third level institutions, including:<\/p>\n

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